Marine type nonmetallic bearing



Feb. 25, 1947. w. M. FOUNTAIN ETAL 2,415,519

MARINE TYPE NON-METALLIC BEARING Filed March 27, 1945 William M Fourtcln Herbert, lPierce INVENToRs BY y" )444144411 @i @E TTRNEYS Patented Feb. 25,F 1947 2,416,519 MARINE TYPE NONMETALLIC BEARING William M. Fountain, Palo Alto, and Herbert Pierce, Saratoga, Calif.

Application March 27, 1945, Serial No. 585,086

Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in a marine type non-metallic bearing, and it consists of combinations, constructions and arrangements hereinafter described and claimed.

An object of our invention is to provide a marine type non-metallic bearing forpropeller shafts which will permit the take-up of either inner or outer bearings while the boat still remains in the water. This obviates the necessity of running the boat onto the shore or into drydock in order to repack the bearings. The device can be applied to boats of various sizes.

. A further object of our invention is to provide a device of the type described in which the water -iioating the boat is used as the lubricating means for the bearings. The device is simple in construction and durable and eicient for the purpose intended.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification, and the novel features of the device will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Our invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming a part of this application, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the deviceshown operatively applied to the boat; and

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through the device.

While we have shown only the preferred form of our invention, it should be understood that various changes or modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

In carrying out our invention we make use of a boat indicated generally at A. This boat has a 4hull I and a stern 2. Our marine type bearing indicated generally at B comprises acylinder 3 that extends through an opening 4 in the stern y2 of the boat and has a flange 5 that is designed screw I I. The inner gland 8 is secured to an outer gland I2 by screws I3 or other suitable fastening means. The outer gland I2 has projections I4 that are designedto 4be engaged by a Spanner wrench, not shown, for rotating the outer and inner glands as a unit for compressing the packing rings 9. "l

Figure 1 shows how the outer gland I2 is held against accidental rotation by locking bolts I5. These bolts are pivotally mounted in lugs I 6 that are integral with the cylinder 3 and flange 5. The outer gland I2 has pairs of lugs IIV designed to receive the bolts I5. After the gland I2 has been tightened to the desired extent, the pairs of lugs I'I are brought into alignment with the lugs I6 and then the bolts I5 are swung so as to `be received in the lugs II. Nuts I8 are now tightened against the lugs I'l and will hold the outer and inner glands from rotating. Y

' The disc I0 and the inner gland 8 have openings IB and 28 for rotatably receiving the propeller shaft C of the boat. Figure 1 shows-the propeller shaft projecting beyond the outer packing gland I2 and further shows a propeller D keyed to the shaft and held in place vby a, nut, 2 I.

The forward end of the propeller shaft C projects through/ an opening 22 in a disc 23 and through an opening 24 in a forward packing gland 25.V The gland 25 is exteriorly threaded at 26 and is designed to be screwed into an interiorly threaded Vportion 2'I provided in the forward end of the cylinder 3. Packing rings 28 form the inner bearing and are compressed between the disc 23 and the forward packing gland 25. A set screw 29 secures the disc in the cylinder. y

The propeller shaft C has its forward end rotatably received in a double thrust bearing in dicated generally at E. It will be seen from `Figure 2 that the propeller shaft C is threaded at 38 for receiving a nut 3 I. The double thrust bearing v E has a housing 32 for'receiving rollers 33 of the double thrust bearing E. Y The nut 3| .holds a, cap

34 down upon the double' thrust bearing E'so as to keep the bearing Within the housing 32, The propeller shaft C is reduced in diameter at 35 and the reduced portion passes through a thrust bearing holder F. The shaft C is threaded at 3B and receives a nut 3'l that secures a, cap o-r holder 38 against the thrust bearing holder F.

Figure 2 also shows the lpropeller shaft C still further reduced in diameter at 39 and keyed to a coupling member 40. The coupling is held in place by a nut 4I and is adapted to be secured to a second coupling member, not shown, which may be directly connected to the engine shaft or other -source of power. .A rotation ofthe coupling member 40 will rotate the shaft which in turn will ro- .tate the propeller in the water indicated at G. my' Athrust bearing bracketH, see Figure 1, has

l ysynthetic rubber.

V will function as a bea-ringl ring will' suflice;

` .the housing 32 is secured to the lugs 4'8 by bolts 50.v The housing 32 together with the double thrust bearing E and the thrust bearing holder F are held in proper position by the bracket.y

Both Figures 1 and 2 show a sea water pressure tube J extending from a centralv opening in the cylinder 3 and passing through an opening 52 in the hull l and facing forwardly' as shown in Figure 1.

will enter the outer and inner bearings 9 and Z8 forV acting as a lubricant between therrings and the propeller shaft. No oil is needed forfIu-bri'cation purposes.

' From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, the operation thereof may be readily understood.

The propeller shaft operates in the usual manner for rotating the propeller. The inner bearing 28 or the outer bearing 9 may be taken up to compensate rfor wear while the ship remains in the water. The take-up of the bearing 2B is accomplished by rotating the gland 25 while the take-up on outer bearing 9 is accomplished by vrotating the gland i2; A spanne'r wrench is used for rotating the glands. It is possiblel to loosen the-bolts |=5- and swing them free of the lugs I`1 and then rotate the glandA l2, all of this operation being performed while the boat remains in the water. I

The shaft C may be removed from thecylinder 3` andthis is accomplished by unscrewing the nuts 4l, V.'tl and 3| to free the shaft from the coupling member 4) and the bearings E and F. The shaft may then be pulled' free of the cylinder. The packing ringsforming the outer andy inner bearings 9 and 28 may be made of rubber or The rings are split so that they can be temporarily opened to encircle the shaft without the necessity of're'inovingr the shaft from theV cylinder. Any .plastic material' that The bearings t and 28 are lubricated with the same water the ship floats in.

TheY double thrust bearing E will take up the propeller thrust when the ship yis proceeding in either a forward or a reverse direction. The

As the boat moves forwardly in` the water, the water will enter the tube J and' flow into the interior of the cylinder 3 where itv double thrust bea-ring E can be inspected bythe removal of thev cap or holder 34 andthe bracket i H. ThereA is VVno need for removing the propeller sha-ft for this inspection. The coupling flange 40 can be removed by dismounting the nut 41 Aand sliding the coupling off onv keywaySQa. Y

The water for lubricating the bearingsv 9 land 28 is admitted into the cylinder through the tube J. rfhe bearings are lubricated underl pressure with the same wat-er that floats the shipor boat. Any leakage of water that might develop through the gland i2 will be balanced by" the water pressure entering the center of the cylinder 3 through the tube J.

Our bearingV is designed to be usedv inplace 'of thecommonly used hard `or metallicb'earings such as lig-numvitael or 'similar hardwoods; brass" or bronzes, or other metallic materials'. The bearings can be repacked without removing the ship from the water because the glands can be unscrewed from the cylinder 3 and then the new rings slipped over the propeller shaft and moved into place. If the propeller shaft is too long, the cy1inder3 can have an intermediate support, not shown. The threads for the gland are shielded from the water by the outer gland l2.

We claim:

1. A marine-type non-metallic bearing comprising a tubular casing adapted to extend through the stern of a ship at a point below thev water line, a propeller shaft extending through the casing, the shaft axis coinciding with the casing axis, transversely-extending partitions spaced a predetermined distance from each end of the casing and being spaced from each other to define a chamber therebetween within the casing, said partitions having central openings larger in diameter than the shaft diameter, the l shaft extending through said openings but having clearance with the partitions, aV plurality of non-metallic: packing and bearing `rings encircling the shaft and being disposed between the partitions and the casing ends for providing inboard and' outboard bearings, constituting the sole supports withinthe casing forthe shaft., a packing gland for each casing end Yfor taking up wear in. each bearing, the packing glands having central openings larger in diameter than the shaft diameter soV as toY receive-the shaft with clearance, the outboard gland admitting water to the outboard bearing from the body of water oating the ship, and means for conveying water into the' chamber. for water-lubricating the bearings.

2. A marine-type non-metallic bearing com'- prising a tubular casing adapted to rextend through the stern of a ship at a point below the water line, a propeller shaft extending through the casing, ythe shaft axis coinciding with the casing` axis, transversely-extending partitions spaced a predetermined distance from-each end of the casing and being spaced from each other to define a chamber therebetween within the casing, said partitions having central openings larger dameter than the shaft diameter, the shaft extending through said openings but having clearance with the partitions, a plurality of nonsmetallic packing and bearing rings encircling the shaft and being disposed. between the partitions and the casing ends for providing inboard and`- out- I board bearings constitutingl the sole supports within the casing for the shaft, fa packing gland for each casing end for taking up wear in'. each bearing, the packing glands having central open.- 'ings larger in diameter than the shaftdiameter so as to receive the-shaft with clearance, .the outboard gland admitting water t'o-v the outboard bearing fro-m the body of water floating the ship, and a tube communicating 'with the chamber be'- tween the partitions, said tube pr'ojecting't'hrough the ships hull and having its lower end facing ahead for conveying water under pressure to the gland against entrance of water, and means for locking said outer and inner glands against accidental rotation, said locking means being releasable for permitting the glands to be adjusted while the ship is in the water.

4. In a marine propeller shaft, support, a propeller shaft casing adapted to extend through the stern of a ship at a point below the water line and having a propeller shaftl mounted therein and projecting from the forward end of the casing, a double-thrust bearing for the shaft portion projecting beyond the forward casing end for taking up the propeller shaft thrust whether the ship is moving ahead or astern, thrust, bearing holders disposed on ".the shaft, a housing for the thrust-l bearing, and a bracket extending between the housing and casing designed to support the housing and to transmit, thrust, from the latter to the casing, said bracket being removably connected to the casing and housing, whereby the bracket can be removed from the housing for permitting inspection of the double-thrust. bearing without the necessity of removing the shaft from the casing.

5. In a marine propeller shaft support, a propeller shaft casing adapted to extend through the stern of a ship at a point below the water line and having a propeller shaft mounted therein and projecting from the forward end of the oasing, a packing gland disposed at the forward end of the casing, a double-thrust bearing for the shaft portion projecting beyond the forward casing end for taking up the propeller shaft thrust whether the ship is moving ahead or astern, a housing for the thrust bearing, and a bracket secured to `the casing and housing designed to support the hous-ing and transmit thrust from the latter to the casing, the bracket having a sump therein arranged to receive liquid leaking out of the packing gland or thrust bearing housing and preventing the liquid from dropping into the bottom of the boat.

WILLIAM M. FOUNTAIN.

HERBERT PIERCE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 571,741 Bates Nov. 24, 1896 v 821,925 Collier May 29, 1906 1,494,169 Johnson May 13, 1924 2,075,645 Hamilton Mar. 30, 1937 2,235,763 Horton Mar. 18, 1941 2,217,295 Scott-Paine (a) Oct. 8, 1940 2,306,664 ScottfPaine (b) Dec. 29, 1942 

